So here I was—first time in New York, wide-eyed, jet-lagged, and hoping to spot at least one pigeon that looked like it had Broadway training. But instead, I walked straight into & Juliet… and darling, my theatre-loving heart wasn’t ready for what hit me.

This wasn’t Shakespeare. This was Shakespeare with glitter, pop songs, and attitude. Think: Romeo and Juliet, but Juliet says, “Thanks babe, but I’ve got options,” and suddenly breaks into Britney Spears’ Oops!… I Did It Again. Yes, that actually happened. And no, I haven’t emotionally recovered.

Before Romeo even pops back to life (sorry, spoiler alert—he’s back), Juliet is already being proposed to by a new man and she handles it like the icon she is. Cue the Britney. Cue my laughter echoing through the theatre. Peak theatre moment.

But let me rewind. This musical had everything—romance, heartbreak, queerness, women lifting each other up, Shakespeare and his wife having marriage therapy in public (through song, naturally), and every pop hit you didn’t know you missed until it started playing.

And let’s talk about the cast. Joey Fatone, 90s crush from NSYNC (looks so much better playing this, than his 90s look), plays Lance and is basically the lovable dad-joke machine we all need in our lives. Adorable. Hilarious. Zero shame. I wanted to high-five him and hug him all at once.

Then, mic drop moment — Rachel Zegler as Juliet. I mean… come on. This woman can sing, act, and glow. She didn’t just play Juliet. She reclaimed her. Suddenly Juliet wasn’t dying for love—she was out here living her best life, exploring her options, singing her heart out, and telling fate to sit down.

It made me think: if Shakespeare was alive today, he’d be sitting in the audience whispering, “Okay… I kinda like this version better.”

And you know what? So do I.

I walked in expecting a musical. I got a full-blown party. And as someone who grew up on tragedy and taboos, this retelling felt like a neon-lit, confetti-filled therapy session I didn’t know I needed.

Dear Sri Lanka: we need to stage something like this. Bold, wild, and empowering. Let Juliet dance, let her sing, and please—let her ghost Romeo if she wants to.

It’s a must-see if you’re heading to New York. I’m so glad I got the chance to experience it. We’ve all grown up with the big names—Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Misérables, Evita—but & Juliet is something else entirely. It’s new, vibrant, fearless, and bursting with life.

If you ever get the opportunity, please don’t miss it. I left inspired. And that’s why I had to write this—for this week’s column in the paper. Because some things just deserve to be shouted from the stage… or at least from my corner of the world.